His versatility reflects both his selflessness and his athletic talents.
One of the best defensive right fielders in baseball history, Mookie Betts moved to second base last year because the Dodgers needed him. He moved from second base to shortstop this year because the Dodgers needed him again.
Most superstars wouldn’t be so understanding. Most superstars wouldn’t be able to play such a wide variety of positions if they wanted to.
“He is one of the best people and teammates I have ever known,” said manager Dave Roberts.
Now that Betts is nearly recovered from a broken hand, the Dodgers may make another request that will test his ability to sacrifice.
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They might ask him to move back to right field.
Roberts didn’t say they would. Nor did GM Brandon Gomes. But look at the players the Dodgers picked up before the trade deadline, look at their roster, and it’s clear that Betts would help them more at his old position than he would at shortstop or second base.
Will Betts return as the team’s shortstop?
“That’s his intention,” Roberts said.
However, Roberts warned: “Now that we’re halfway through August and we’re expecting him back, I don’t know if that’s going to change.”
Gomes was also cryptic.
“He continues to get ground balls in the infield,” Gomes said, “and we have so many open guys in the infield right now, we can take a little bit of time to see where we’re at by the time he gets back. But he’s ready to go wherever we need him to go.”
Superstars are usually the ones who get paired with role players, not the other way around. In this case, Betts could be asked to move to right field to help unclog an infield depth chart that includes Miguel Rojas, Gavin Lux, Tommy Edman, Amed Rosario and Nick Ahmed. A return to his old position would also bolster the Dodgers’ disappointing corner outfield production.
About a month ago, Betts was asked by reporters about the possibility of returning to right field.
“If they want to go there, I can go there,” he said. “Like I said, at this point I feel like I can do pretty much anything there, especially if I can put in some work. Whatever it takes to have the best team there.”
Whatever Betts has said on the record, he would be perfectly justified in turning down an outfield assignment.
He was not responsible for the injuries that prompted his switch to second base. He certainly was not responsible for the misguided assumption that Lux could be an adequate shortstop that inspired his latest position change.
If Betts has preferred the infield, the Dodgers can only blame themselves for making rosters that forced him to switch positions. Betts has earned the right to do what he feels most comfortable with. He should do what he feels is necessary to perform offensively.
However, Roberts did not think this would be a problem.
“When he played different positions last year, for example, he had one of his best years,” Roberts said. “So I don’t think … playing two different positions affects Mookie because, to use his words, when he’s defending, he’s defending, and when he’s in the box, he’s focused on hitting.”
If it doesn’t negatively impact Betts as a hitter, a return to right field would allow the Dodgers to make the most of their roster.
Before his injury, Betts was a below-average shortstop, which was understandable since the last time he played there regularly was in high school. The six weeks he missed likely set him back. Ahmed, the team’s current substitute, has won two Gold Gloves at the position. The sidelined Rojas is also a top-notch defensive shortstop.
Even if the shortstop experiment ends before the season — Betts could try again next season after spending an entire winter training at the position — what about second base? That’s where the Dodgers have Lux, who is hitting over .400 in his last 15 games. Given how weak the bottom of the order has looked at times, they’d be reluctant to remove his left-handed hitter from the lineup.
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The recently acquired Kevin Kiermaier is a top-level defensive center fielder, and Edman can also play center field, which would push rookie Andy Pages into a platoon role in right field with Jason Heyward. Corner outfielders are expected to hit, and Pages and Heyward haven’t done much of that lately, which is why Betts would be the best fit there.
“Mookie has told me time and time again that he is willing to do whatever it takes to make us the best team in baseball,” Roberts said.
If the Dodgers decide to let Betts play right field, they’ll have to be careful how they approach him. They don’t want a player of Betts’ caliber to feel disrespected or taken for granted.
Role players are important, but whether the Dodgers win the World Series ultimately depends on their superstars.
To Shohei Ohtani.
To Freddie Freeman.
To Betts.
The special players will have to be special in October if the Dodgers want to win, similar to how Betts and Corey Seager were the last time the team won a championship.
Betts has to position himself to perform, whether it’s in the infield or outfield. What’s best for him is best for the team.
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This story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.
